New Study Shows Teens Are Drinking Less

Teens aren’t doing as many keg stands as they did “back in the day.” According to “Monitoring the Future,” an annual, government funded survey performed by the University of Michigan that examines the drug and alcohol use of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. Each year since 1991, 50,000 students are surveyed about their drinking and drug habits.

The newest report reinforces a long-term decline in drinking among teens, especially younger teens, as well as a decline in binge drinking in all teens. In fact, teen drinking has reached its lowest levels in the history of the study.

The Beer Institute, which represents the entire American brewing industry, is using the new study to underscore how important and effective their “drink responsibly” initiatives have become. Many states lowered their drinking age to 18 or 19 during the ‘70s, only to raise it back to 21 in the ‘80s.